This invention relates to a evaporative element and clip system for a replacement evaporative element for a humidifier. More specifically, the invention relates to a clip that supports a replacement evaporative element within the humidifier.
Humidifiers are manufactured and sold with replaceable evaporative elements, also known as filter cartridges or wicking elements. The purpose of the evaporative element is to spread water over a large surface area to promote evaporation of the water into the air that freely passes through the element. The evaporative element may also perform a subsidiary function of filtering the air and/or water. It is well recognized in the art that it is desirable to have an element that has a large surface area. It is also well known to make the evaporative element from materials that promote capillary or wicking action to absorb and spread water throughout the evaporative element, maximizing the wetted surface area. Coatings are well known that aid water retention and distribution on non-porous surfaces. The evaporative element should be made of materials and with a configuration sufficient to maintain structural integrity of the evaporative element when it is subjected to prolonged use in water, heat and air flow circulation.
Users sometimes look for third party replacement parts to get different features compared to those made available by the original manufacturer. If a replacement pad sags a short time after installation, a user may try to find a replacement pad made of more durable materials. Flexibility in mounting the replacement pad gives the user a wider range of features from which to choose.
After a period of use, the evaporative element begins to loose its effectiveness and needs to be replaced. Original replacement parts are not always convenient to obtain and can be expensive. As makes and models change, the manufacturer sometimes discontinues marketing a particular replacement evaporative element if it believes there is insufficient market to turn a profit. For these and other reasons, replacement evaporative elements are made available by independent parties and are often adaptable to fit several humidifiers.
The need to retrofit replacement evaporative elements into a wide variety of humidifying units requires finding ways to attach universal evaporative elements that may fit more than a single humidifier. U.S. Pat. No. 3,139,462 describes a supporting clip that hangs from a trough that supplies water to the evaporative element. The lower portion of the clip frictionally fits a tubular frame around the top of the evaporative element to hold it in place. Use of this clip requires that the evaporative element have a frame, and that the frame be positioned to hold the evaporative element at an appropriate height.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,867 discloses a hanger for attaching two pads of cross corrugated fill in a liquid-gas contact body. This hanger includes a hook and at least two legs. The legs are approximately perpendicular to each other, with one leg penetrating a transverse slot in the cross corrugated fill, and the other leg stabilizing the hanger at the surface of the fill. Thus, this hanger is useful only when there is a slot somewhere in one of the humidifier pads into which the penetrating leg can be inserted. The hanger can be hung only at the location of the slot. Frequently, there is no such slot present in a humidifier pad.
Neither of the hangers of the prior art provide a system for installation of a replacement evaporative element in a variety of humidifiers. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a hanging system for an evaporative element that is inexpensive and works with a wide variety of evaporative elements.